


A Fervent Devotion

by emlaa



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, First Time, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Jealousy, M/M, POV Multiple, Smut, Unresolved Sexual Tension, debate
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2015-12-21
Packaged: 2018-05-08 06:06:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5486432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emlaa/pseuds/emlaa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis is the new student at a prestigious LA prep school. Harry is the debate team captain. They've met once before at a debate competition where Harry took first place and Louis took second. Louis' new best friend may or may not be Harry's ex. Louis quickly realizes that despite their lusting glances and witty conversations, Harry is off-limits if he wants to maintain his friendship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Fervent Devotion

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first m/m fanfic so I apologize for any inconsistencies ♥ I'm still learning! This story is purely a passion project and I can promise you a happy ending. Please offer any suggestions/ feedback!

Louis cursed his parents, cursed the life he had been born into. Just when things were starting to pick up for him, his father just had to get repositioned on the other side of the country. He was a renowned philosophy professor and Louis was proud to have such an esteemed father, but that didn’t change the fact that moving was the end of his life as he knew it.

 

It was the night before their trek across the country and Louis was out with his two closest friends. Just as happy as he usually was when he was with them, he couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of bitter resentment and melancholia that he wouldn’t be having nights like this ever again. There was a profoundly strange feeling in realizing that his life was about to be turned upside down, the pleasant routine he had built for himself shot to the ground.

 

“Louis stop sulking!” Marie said. She was a petite brunette with green eyes and a fierce preoccupation for the tuba. 

 

“I’m not, I’m just sad. We won’t be able to have a night out like this again.” He frowned.

 

“We’re coming to visit you next month! Louis try to enjoy this moment for once.” said Gabrielle. That was what he loved about her, her reckless optimism and sense of always living in the present inspired Louis not to take things for granted. 

 

He threw an arm haplessly around the two girls, thankful he had been able to find such supportive and loving friends.

 

“What are you most excited for?” Marie asked.

 

“I don’t know. The beaches, the weather maybe.” Louis hadn’t honestly given it much thought, too focused on exploiting the negatives of his situation.

 

“I hope so, it’s LA after all. You’re so lucky Louis. We’re stuck in this hell-hole for another year still.” Gabrielle said. Louis loved Charlotte, it was quaintly charming and had just the right amount of stimulation that it wasn’t overwhelming. He speculated LA wouldn’t quite feel the same.

 

The rest of the night was spent gossiping over gelato and strolling through the park, people-watching. When they finally reached his door, Louis looked at them with tears brimming in his eyes.

 

“Thank you guys so much for everything. I love you so much.”

 

“Tell us everything, we want every juicy detail! You’re going to have so much fun you’ll forget all about us!” Marie said before giving him one last hug, Louis reassuring her that he surely wouldn’t forget them. She turned the corner to walk back to her house, giving her two friends some warranted privacy.

 

Gabrielle looked into Louis' eyes with tears staining her cheeks. He caressed her cheek lightly, barely skimming her soft skin.

 

“You’ll always be in my heart, Gabi.” He pressed his lips to her temple.

 

“I know.” She said, voice gravelly, as she pulled him in for a hug. They stayed like that for awhile, relishing in each others company, the close proximity breeding nostalgia. She eventually pulled away and with one last toothy smile, squeezed his hand and headed down the street.

 

Louis had had a crush on Gabrielle for awhile and it was last year he had finally mustered the courage to ask her out, only realizing she felt the same way. They had messed around for a few months here and there before eventually realizing they were better off as friends. Louis also just couldn’t handle the pressures of being in a relationship, his insecurity getting the better of him. Gabrielle was beautiful, her striking Indian features and brown eyes melted Louis heart, but she felt more like a sister to him than anything else. 

 

Louis wasn’t sure where he stood on the spectrum of his sexuality and although he hadn’t directly talked about it with Marie and Gabrielle, he knew that they suspected. Right now he was at the point of settling comfortably in the middle.

 

As Louis stepped inside his house, he could hear voices talking quietly in the kitchen. He headed towards the sound and found his parents leaning against the island, surrounded by boxes. His mother was clutching a small package.

 

“Louis, come here sweet boy.” His mother reached for him and pulled him into a tight hug, his father following suit. He loved his parents and knew that they were heartbroken just as much as Louis that they had to tear him away from his life. He knew his parents would support him in any venture, championing him every step of the way. His mother nudged the package into his hands.

 

“For your thoughts and queries.” He untied the bow and carefully tore the paper, trying not to spoil it as he uncovered a small notebook entitled, “Potentially life-changing ideas.” He hugged her one last time before heading up the stairs and falling onto his bare mattress. 

 

He stared up at the ceiling, the dimmed blue light casting an earthy glow on the room. Louis wished more than anything else to just wake up tomorrow, make himself an Earl Grey tea and pretend he never even had to move in the first place. He fell asleep with his clothes still on, exhausted from the burden of despondency that had washed over him.

 

———————————————————————————————————————

 

The thick wave of Southern California heat fell upon Louis as soon as he stepped out of the plane. It was a stark contrast to the crisp Winter that had fallen upon Charlotte. He had been to LA once before, years ago for a debate competition, and remembered being particularly awed by its multicultural composition and beauty. It was something he had conveniently forgotten in his efforts to delay the move. Maybe an engrossing adventure was just what he needed to enliven his life.

 

———————————————————————————————————————

 

Louis thought he was going to vomit from the nerves he felt bubbling in his stomach. Dressed in his blazer and tie, the uniform felt like a foreign entity trying to invade his body. It was scratchy on his neck and he could already feel a rash breaking out. He had never liked the first day of school very much, let alone in an entirely new city at an entirely new school. 

 

It was about a 20 minute drive from his house and his mother dropped him off right in front.

 

“Louis, you are such a gracious soul and if you let that shine, everything will work out great for you.” She smiled at him as he opened the door, nodding ever so slightly and pursed his lips into a small line. His mother was too kind. He and his parents had visited the school earlier in the week to learn the route and so Louis could get a feel for the campus. Trentwood was a well-known private school and had a great reputation. Louis was less worried about how he would do academically and more daunted by the social pressure that would likely ensue for being the new student. He took a deep breath and took a step through the door.

 

“Welcome!” A hand came up to greet him warmly and was accompanied by a smiling face. Louis smiled, although it likely faltered slightly with his nerves. He had been given his locker number already and asked which direction he should head in. He shook his head a little and rounded out his shoulders, sauntering off confidently. If he wanted to have a chance at friends, he needed to reinvent himself and exude courage without coming across as too arrogant. He had practiced at home, the cordial look he would give people in the hallway and the firm handshake he would address people with. He tried to suppress the nerves as he made sense of all of the faces around him, drinking in his surroundings. It was going to be a long day.

 

Louis made it to his locker and input the code he had been given, stuffing his lunch inside. He was startled by a voice coming up behind him.

 

“Hello, are you new?”

 

“Uh...uh,” he stuttered, “yes.” Telling himself to reinstate that same level of confidence. He reached back to massage his neck nonchalantly. 

 

“Louis Tomlinson. Just moved here from North Carolina.”

 

“Oh man, that’s cold stuff back there! I’m Cane. Born and raised Californian.” He flashed all of his teeth brightly as he slapped Louis on the back. 

 

“So Louis, what’s your first class?”

 

“AP English Lit.” He said, glancing down at his schedule he had pulled up on his phone. 

 

“Oh I think my buddy’s taking that class, I’ll introduce you. So what are you interested in?” Louis was momentarily taken back at Cane’s inclusiveness and some of his fears began to quell slightly.

 

“I like debate. And sometimes soccer. And movies.” He listed.

 

“Debate, hm. Can’t help you with that but I know the captain, I’ll give him your name. Soccer on the other hand, thats my man. What position do you play?”

 

“Forward.”

 

“Interesting, interesting, we’ll see how you pan out. Tryouts are next week! Always great to have new additions to the team.” He put an arm around Louis and veered him towards the stairs. Cane chatted excitedly and Louis couldn’t have relaxed more at the fact that he already had someone to talk to. The people in California were far nicer than Charlotte where all you usually got was a shrug of the shoulders and an icy glare if you stepped one foot in the wrong direction.

 

Just as they were reaching Louis’s English class, Cane called out towards some blonde-haired boy that was chatting animatedly far ahead of them.

 

“Niall, mate, mind showing Louis around? He’s in your first period class. He’s new, from North Carolina.” He slapped Louis on the back and Niall held out his hand.

 

“Niall Horan, nice to meet you Louis.” Cane left them, exchanging numbers with Louis and promising to meet up with them after class. They headed into their classroom. 

 

“So, Louis. What’s your poison? Party tonight at Zayn’s. You’re totally invited!” Niall exclaimed.

 

“Uh…uh,” he stuttered at his forwardness, “I don’t party much… but I guess champagne?”

 

Niall burst out laughing and Louis flushed red. He really didn’t drink much and when he had it had led to a terrible disaster. 

 

“Oh, a posh one you are? Didn’t peg you for that type. I’m afraid our Jack Daniels might not be up to your standards.” Louis shook his head and punched Niall playfully. He was reminded of his supposed efforts to remain confident. 

 

“I’d love to come. Where and what should I bring?” Niall rehashed the details and invited him to the Facebook group just as their class was beginning.

 

Louis loved literature, everything about it. The relaying of information, of touching narrative and endless romances. He could quickly tell that this was going to become one of his favorite classes.  

 

After class, Cane met up with them, as promised, and steered Louis towards his next class, Physics. He was grateful to have the company.

 

Just as they were reaching the science wing of the school, Louis was taken suddenly by a fiercely low, English accent that drawled on in tandem with casual American slang. Louis turned his head in the direction of the voice and was taken aback by two piercing green eyes boring through him. He felt the boy’s eyes wade over him haphazardly and Louis shifted uncomfortably. Cane looked over and paying no attention to their stare-down, lit up,

 

“Harry! Oh perfect, just the guy I was looking for. Louis, this is Harry Styles, the debate captain I was telling you about.” Louis licked his lips in response, quickly offering his hand,

 

“Louis. Yes. I remember you.” His name rolled off his biting, British tongue and the memories flooded back. That last time he’d been in LA, he remembered being entranced by chocolate curls and a dazed stupor, the champion who had taken home first in the competition. They’d shared casual glances, never amounting to anything else, but a dancing playfulness permitting between them that had left Louis feeling so overwhelmed he had had to get himself off later that night alone in his room. Shaking out of his daydream, he quipped,

 

“Be it resolved that human migration should be a human right. A convincing case you carved for yourself. Even I was impressed. Hard to forget.” Cane looked between them, confused.

 

“Even you, huh? Second-place sorrow much?”

 

“An off-day, I demand a rematch.” He smiled widely, a teasing tone to his voice.

 

“We’ll see about that.” He raked his shoulder-length hair back and Louis tracked the motion, his clunky silver rings clashing with his shaggy hair.

 

“Well, Louis, I have to get to class. But your class is right over there.” Cane, butted in, pointing to the left, flashing a smile and turning back, as he was walking away, to make sure he was alright.

 

“Well, Louis. Since I assume you are here about debate meetings. We have our first meeting after school today at 4. Meet in front of the school. And don’t be late.” He narrowed his eyes challengingly at Louis, a deliciously warm heat pervading through his lower stomach. Harry was a complete juxtaposition, a supposed intellectual that was littered in tattoos, peeking out of his unbuttoned dress shirt and loosened tie. His blazer and pants were obscenely tight and his pointy, Italian brogues drew circles in the linoleum. A pair of Ray-Ban’s were pushed atop his curls and his hair was absurdly long for an almost 18-year old boy. He twirled a pair of car keys on one of his intriguingly long fingers.

 

“Well?” he said impatiently.

 

“See you then.”  Louis said swiftly. Harry licked his lips,

 

“I look forward to it.” He walked off quickly and Louis realized they were almost the last ones left in the hallway and rushed off in the direction of his class. He called his name for attendance and looked around the class quickly, assessing his classmates. His sporadic breathing and flushed complexion were only heightened as soon as he thought of the encounter he had just had. He hadn’t felt that exhilarated in a long time, and from a simple conversation nonetheless. Louis smiled privately to himself when he thought of even being able to be in the same proximity of  _him_ by the end of the day.

 

Harry’s POV

 

Shit. Shit, shit, shit. This was just what he needed right now. This was the most important year of his life and that stupidly charming boy had returned to his life again. He had almost lost his composure the year of the 2012 debate competition. Louis’ stupidly tight pants and smart mouth had been enough to make him lose his train of thought, more than once. A stutter here and there had already been enough. Everything was stupid. It was all stupid. He had spent plenty of nights after that envisioning his teasing blue eyes with a hand down his pants, stalking him on Facebook, once he’d figured out his name. This was the year that he had to hunker down, focus on his studies and getting into Cornell, but no, God hated him. He had placed temptation in his direct line of fire and Harry couldn’t help what was bound to happen. He hated everything.

 

Louis’ POV

 

The day rushed past in a flurry of classes, assignments and green eyes. Louis ate lunch with Cane, Niall, Zayn and their friends. They informed him they usually went out for lunch but in the first week of school, they enforced the rules pretty strictly. He was looking forward to the party tonight. The boys seemed plenty amiable and spent their hour chatting about girls and sports. Really, nothing seemed much different than Charlotte. Other than that his friends were now boys.  And that it was unbearably hotter. And that he couldn’t tear his mind away from the curly-haired boy. 

 

Louis missed Gabrielle and Marie. He whipped out his phone, as he was waiting on a bench after school, and texted them a quick heart in their group chat. The boys had left to go home and Louis was left to his own devices, as he anxiously awaited Harry’s arrival. He wasn’t sure what to expect but his brain itched to debate again, every fiber of his being writhing in defenses. Being up on that platform was addicting, the best feeling in the world. He replied to a quick text from his mom, letting her know that he was alright and that he would need to be picked up in about an hour. He grappled with telling her about the party, but knew she was more likely to say yes in person. After all, she had just upended Louis life as he knew it.

 

He was tapping his foot in anticipation as he caught sight of Harry, who had his hands effortlessly shoved into his pockets as he strode out the front door of the school. He was alone.

 

“Well, well, look who it is.” He said, sliding onto the bench next to Louis.

 

“Where is everyone else?” He asked questioningly.

 

“There is no one else.” Harry smirked.

 

“Uh… uh…” Louis stuttered, confused.

 

“As debate captain, I can call for private initiations. And that is what this is.”

  
“Oh, so does that mean I’m in?” Louis countered, the side of lips quirking into a smile and eyebrows raising.

 

“Not quite.” Harry laughed and crossed his arms, bringing a pencil up to his lips and chewing on the eraser slightly. Louis couldn’t help but watch helplessly, imagining what those full lips could do. He couldn’t even remember actually being attracted to a girl as strongly as he was right now. He was most certainly and undeniably, gay. 

 

“So what are we doing Harold?” He was met with an eyebrow raise.

 

“We are doing it right now. Talking.” Louis stared at him, waiting for anything, yearning for any interaction. Harry closed his eyes briefly and brought a fist to his mouth, before snapping out of his bewilderment and staring Louis straight in the eyes. Louis’ pulse quickened. 

 

“Lets cut the small talk. I have places to be and this won’t take long. We already have a pretty established team, not a lot of room for outsiders but I happen to know your stats and I think we can make a place for you. Our first competition is next weekend in San Diego. You in?” He said blatantly. 

 

“Absolutely-y.” Louis said, choking on his almost stutter. Harry chuckled, narrowing his focus on Louis’ lips. Louis looked away, not knowing where this could possibly go.

 

“Well, if you give me your number I can send you the details.” Harry broke the silence.

 

“Isn’t there just like a Facebook group or something?” Louis smiled coyly. He knew he had caught Harry red-handed. He silently triumphed that Harry wanted his number. 

  
“Uh… yes. I’ll add you to it.” He looked mildly flustered as he quickly glanced at Louis through his long lashes. 

 

“Come on fucker, give me your phone.” Louis held his hand out. Harry gingerly handed it to Louis. Louis examined his screensaver, a picture of an old Kings of Leon album, before opening his contacts.

 

“You a fan?” He gestured casually to the phone, as he typed in his number. He carefully selected a heart-eye emoji to add next to his name. 

 

“Yes.” He said curtly, biting his lip. That seemed to be a bit of a habit. One-word answers or silence it was. Louis handed him back the phone after he had texted himself a ‘hi.’

 

“Me too. Well I’ll see you around, Harold. I look forward to beating your ass in the future.” He realized the problem with that innuendo as soon as it came out. Oops. Louis stood up and raked a hand through his hair, Harry seeming caught up in the action. Louis could almost combust from the look he was giving him, green eyes glazed over in lust. He quickly waved and ran back into the school. Once he got through the door, he leaned against the wall for support, catching his breath. He looked down, realizing the rather embarrassing situation in his pants and desperately hoping Harry hadn’t noticed. He didn’t even know why he left. His mom wasn’t coming for another forty-five minutes. He just couldn’t handle being in Harry’s presence without wanting to pin him into the bench and blow him right there. Jesus Christ, it was only the first day and he already couldn’t keep it together. He swiftly headed to the bathroom, locking himself in a stall and shoving a hand beneath his trousers. 

 

It was going to be a long year, that much he knew.


End file.
